Letter from China: Secrets and Slogans Still the Rule in China – Howard W. French

In the International Herald Tribune, Howard French writes about how preparations for the 17th Party Congress demonstrate that the Chinese government still operates according to its old rules:

Much has been made lately about China’s global role as an emerging power of the first order. China’s rise is pregnant with a big question that can be summarized as follows: how not to feel uneasy about a country that treats equally, or better yet, indifferently, with countries that safeguard their citizens’ rights and places like Sudan, which commits genocide, or Myanmar, which uses brute force to put down peaceful protests by monks and others?

China’s own murky political system has drawn less attention lately, especially with profits to people doing business in or with the country, and benefits to consumers, spread so widely. [Full text]